#SocSciMatters

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Karl Scheibe on Why Social Science Matters

In this video, Karl Scheibe, author of Deep Drama, and co-author of The Storied Nature of Human Life, discusses the important role of social science, from its investigation of the impact of the thoughts and actions of individuals, to how social science can provide ways to deal with the challenges of a constantly changing society.

Karl’s book, Deep Drama, applies a dramaturgical perspective to familiar psychological topics including fear, greed, shame, guilt, rejection, well-being and terrorism. In presenting vivid illustrations of how our understanding of psychological problems can be enriched and enlivened by employing dramatic language and concepts, it brings the well-established field of narrative psychology to life.

The Storied Nature of Human Life, co-authored with Frank J. Barrett, sheds new light on the life and the influence of one of the most significant critical thinkers in psychology of the last century, Theodore R. Sarbin (1911-2005). The essays cover topics such as the adoption of contextualism as the appropriate world view for psychology, the establishment of narrative psychology as a major mode of inquiry, and the rejection both mechanism and mentalism as suitable approaches for psychology. The book is historically informed and yet focused on the future of psychological theory and practice.